Adolescência, cultura Emo e saúde: o olhar de adolescentes em Fortaleza-CE

Adolescence, Emo culture and health: perceptions of adolescents in Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Among the urban tribes that emerged in the twenty-fi rst century are the ‘Emos’: a group preferring emotive music with
an unusual style that underscores their identity. Objective: To understand the feelings, meanings and attitudes of ‘being
Emo’ as perceived by a group of teenagers in Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil. Methods: Qualitative, descriptive and exploratory
study conducted through semi-structured interviews with fi fteen self-denominated ‘Emos’ between 13 and 18 years old.
These interviews were conducted in a public square in Fortaleza where ‘Emo’ youngsters congregate. Results: The findings
disclosed changes when young people adopted the ‘Emocore’ style, with respondents reporting discrimination by society
due to intolerance of this style and dress, viewed as ‘weird’. It also became apparent that homosexuality is not likely
in this group. Some factors still underpin vulnerability in adolescence, including early sexual experiences, ‘hooking up’
and drinking alcoholic beverages. However, they expressed their willingness and need to adopt preventive practices.
Conclusion: This highlights the importance of the development of health education activities by healthcare practitioners
through schools, social areas and / or healthcare institutions, so that young people can experience this human dimension
safely and with quality.